I have been attending meetings on the Dumbarton Rail since late 2006. The project itself has been on the books since the early 1990's. A small number of rail aficionados have been promoting the project as a fix all for getting east bay and central valley employees to their workplaces in the more expensive peninsula communities. As a taxpayer I have held an abiding concern about the use of monies (Now upwards of $800M) to fund the Dumbarton Rail Corridor Project. Perhaps the following thoughts will generate initial comment /discussion on the DRCP as its draft EIS/EIR finally comes to the public for comment. Reviewing the Whitepaper provided on the webpage should be helpful in placing the thoughts in perspective.

We are now on the 3rd or 4th project team for Dumbarton Rail since I began following it in 2006. For the most part the team members have been consultants. Maybe the project is really a jobs stimulus package in disguise.

There is new thinking on ridership but it appears to be a stretch given the infrastructure hurdles that need be overcome and the additional funding that will be needed to make it work. All of it is computer models.

Dumbarton is regularly represented as another option for transit riders. I have not however heard a voice from the public demanding it be built.

The Project continues to be one that looking for a reason although the project staff explain that when the Draft EIS/EIR issues the Purpose and Needs statement will be robust.

The new team appears to be thinking that it is their job to create a ridership market for Dumbarton rather than solve an existing ridership dilemma.